The functions of Internet Café for building cyber city
in Indonesia
ERNY SETYAWATI
The improvement of Information Communication Technology (ICT) is very fast now days, especially Internet. People can use Internet whenever they wish, 24 hours a day, seven days a week without stopping. People around the world enjoy using Internet, including people in Indonesia . We can access a lot of information and data from Internet. People can learn and find every think easily from search engine, as Google, MSN, yahoo and others. But people in Indonesia are not as lucky as others people in the world. Indonesia has Digital Divide problem, especially for rural people, because of lack infrastructure, high cost internet access and human resources problem.
Town people with enough education can access information easily compare with rural people with limited education, so that impact to economy improvement in their life. Town people tend to have better economy than rural people.
Indonesia Government is sure that Information Communication Technology(ICT) can help their people from poverty and gain better economy. The Government said that people can improve their talent and skill through getting much information and access many opportunities.
The Indonesia Government has been creating Master Plan and doing every think for recovery the Digital Divide problem, as building and improving Palapa Ring, making regulation, decrease cost Internet access through policy, Ringing Village, Internet go to village, Internet go to School, Sub District on line program and Government e services.
Although the user of Internet in Indonesia have not been booming yet, but it must improve for the future. See the data of the Internet user in Indonesia , 25 millions ( 10,5 % population ), with dominant user from teenager ( age between 15 – 19 years old ). They always use services as, email 59 %, search networking 58 %, source from Department of Communication and Information Indonesia )
Indonesia dreaming to build and improving Cyber City , have to solve the Digital Divide problem. Solving the problem is not only search engine 56 %, news on line 49 %, blog 36 %, on line game 35 %. ( Data Government responsibility only, but the private sector and stage holders participation is important also. The Regencies and Municipality also take a part in this problem, as creating mobile car with Internet facility visits rural village, building ICT with people participation, free hot spot, Telecenter in rural village and others.
Government is sure through many breakthrough can make rural people getting education, skill and talent.
Others business sectors that can help to overcome this problem is Internet Café. Internet Café is improvement business for internet access business for people. The business usually build in town, near to campus, school and others facility business. New beginners in internet Café business are afraid to build the business in rural area, cause of lack infrastructure and lack of customers, but there are few considerations that the new beginners must not be afraid to start the Internet café business in rural area,
There are Pre Elementary school , Elementary school, Junior high school and Senior high School had been built by Government and Private sector. They need a lot of content from Internet for their study, including their Teachers. They are new potential customers.
The implementation of e Government tend to be better. There are many public services to implement on line, as Public Complain on line, Identity card register on line, License business register on line and others e government services.
The improvement of Industry Center for Small Medium Enterprises in rural area. They begin to know how to make promotion on the net.
The new Internet Café business, better combine with others similar business, printer services, typing computer services, training computer, and photo copy. To avoid failure business when the Internet Customers seldom come.
Give free training to people in order to get the new customers. Impossible the people come to Internet Café without knowing what the Internet is ? Trying to work together with Sub District Government or Women organization for free training. They are potential customers future.
Join the Internet Business Cafe Association in your area. Give suggestion to Association in order to work together with Government. So Government can campaign to people about the advantage and un advantage using internet.
Knowing culture in the village is better than nothing. Try to make commitment, not give porno video service and block all porno sites in order to make good image to rural people. Creating the good image that Internet can change their quality of life.
What is the link between Internet Café and Cyber City ? As if there is no link at all, but the entrepreneur of Internet café as private sector have much contribution for people around the Internet café, to change and improve the quality of people live, as talent, skill, human resource.
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